TRENDS AND ISSUES OF PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION IN
SOCIALIST/COMMUNIST
COUNTRIES: CHINA, CUBA,
RUSSIA AND
NORTH KOREA
Prepared by: Mayett S. Larosa
China is a socialist country. The organs of the state power include the National People’s Congress,
President, the State Council, local people’s congresses and local governments, autonomous organs
in the nationality autonomous regions, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's
Procuratorate. The National People's Congress is the supreme organ of the state power and its
permanent organization is the Standing Committee. The National People's Congress and its
Standing Committee exercise legislative power. The local people’s congresses at different levels are
the state power organs at local level.
 LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members
elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms) women
in parliament: 18 out of 70 seats in the senate and (26%) 20 out of 219 seats (9%) in the house of
representatives.6
 EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC) elections: president
and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held
15-17 March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008); premier nominated by the president,
confirmed by the National People's election results: HU Jintao elected president by the Tenth
National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates voted against him, four
abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong elected vice president by the Tenth National
People's Congress with a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and
38 did not vote); two seats were vacant
 JUDICIARY BRANCH

Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local Peoples
Courts (comprise higher, intermediate and local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily military,
maritime, and railway transport courts)
 LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The Constitution specifically empowers the state to establish special administrative regions when necessary. A special
administrative region is a local administrative area directly under the Central Government. At present, China is divided
into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government, and 2 special
administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau).
Local governments, according to the Constitution and the related laws, are divided into 3 main types: local governments
at different levels, autonomous governments of nationality regions and governments of special administrative regions.
The organizational system of local government is divided into four levels as follows: (a) Provincial level: This level
includes provincial, autonomous regions and municipal governments, which are the highest levels of local government.
China had 31 provincial-level administrative units, including 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities
(Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjing, and Chongqing); (b) City level: This category includes cities under the jurisdiction of the
provinces, prefectures, autonomous prefectures and districts under the jurisdiction of the apex municipalities; (c) County
level: This level includes counties, autonomous counties, county-level cities, special zones, forest districts, industrial and
agricultural districts, districts of the city under the jurisdiction of province, etc.; (d) Township level: These include towns
and villages, which are the lowest levels of local government
 SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

Special Administrative Region can be set up as per the 1982 constitution that wrote that the State
would set up special administrative regions whenever deemed necessary. On July 1, 1997, China
resumed exercising sovereignty over Hong Kong and set up the Special Administrative Region of
Hong Kong. In 1999 Macao returned to China and a new special administrative region was set up.
The special administrative region is the product of the conception of “one country, two systems,”
which means that the Mainland of China carries out a socialist system and HongKong, Macao and
Taiwan a capitalist system. But in international affairs, the PRC is the only country representing
China.
 CIVIL SOCIETY

The past two decades have witnessed a rapid development in China’s NGO sector, driven by the
opening of China’s market and its integration with the international community. The names for NGOs
referred to as “social organizations,” “non-profit organizations,” “nongovernmental organizations,” or
“mass organizations.” The emergences of NGOs should be placed in the context of the social and
political transition of China. NGOs in China deliver services and conduct advocacy in a way that is
more independent of the state.
Chinese laws and regulations have not fully endorsed NGOs or all activities conducted by NGOs, yet
often, Chinese NGOs manage to bypass the government’s restrictions in one way or another. Over the
years, NGOs in China have been able to attract funding from various sources and build their own
capacities, enabling them to conduct programs and work in a more independent manner.
 CIVIL SERVICE

• Legal basis - The State Council promulgated the Provisional Regulations on Civil Servants, which
came into force in October 1993. The civil service system that China has promoted nationwide
includes a series of specific sub-systems, such as the categorization of posts, recruiting through open
exams, annual performance appraisals, exchange of posts and dismissal of incompetent officials.
• Recruitment- governments at all levels recruit civil servants through open and fair competition rather
than by appointment.
• Promotion- state civil servants must adhere to the principle of both political integrity and ability, and
appointment on merits, and lay stress on work accomplishments.
• Remuneration- A post-grade salary system has been established across the whole state civil service.
The salary of civil servants includes four parts: post pay, grade pay, basic pay and seniority pay
• Training- state civil servants follow the principle of integrating theory with practice, linking
study with application, teaching according to needs and emphasizing practical results.
• Gender- The number of female cadres (i.e. managerial and professional staff, including
technicians and teachers) in government departments, enterprises and institutions had climbed to
13,838 million, making up 34.3 per cent of the total number of cadres in China.
• Mobility- A mobility system has been established in the state civil service. A state civil servant
may change posts within an administrative organ of the State, or to another organ, enterprise or
institution.
 ETHICS AND CIVIL SERVICE

The Chinese Government made a decision in 1993 to intensify its anti-corruption efforts. In this regard, both the
State Council and the Central Committee of the Communist Party work in parallel to enhance efforts on ethics
management. In May 1997, the National People’s Congress adopted Administrative Supervision Act. In the same
year, the Party issued the Provisional Codes of Conduct, which most of the civil servants (being Party members)
are subject to. Breaches of the Act or the Codes can result in a reprimand or administrative or disciplinary
sanctions. Serious illegal acts by public servants will be dealt with by the amended Criminal Law adopted by the
Nationals Peoples Congress (NPC) in 1997.
The accountability mechanism was set up in 1998 through the Rules on Implementing
Accountability on Ethics and Conduct put in force by the State Council and the Party’s Central
Committee. Coordinating bodies at the top level are the Central Disciplinary Committee of the
Party and the Ministry of Supervision, both of which share a control role. In 1999, 4,322 public
servants were found to be guilty in the promoting ethics campaign, among whom there were 58
senior officials (ranking above departmental Director’s level). The Central Disciplinary Committee
has also initiated a programme focusing on assessing the behaviour of ministers and provincial
governors.
Cuba consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous of the Greater Antilles),
the Isle of Youth and several adjacent small islands. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean at
the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Cuba is south of
the eastern United States and the Bahamas, west of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Haiti and
east of Mexico. The Cayman Islands and Jamaica are to the south.
Independent Cuba was often ruled by authoritarian political and military figures who either
obtained or remained in power by force. Fulgencio Batista, an army sergeant, organized a non-
commissioned officer revolt in September 1933 and wielded significant power behind the scenes
until he was elected president in 1940. Many political figures and movements that wanted a return
to the government according to the Constitution of 1940 disputed Batista's undemocratic rule.
On
 LEGAL STRUCTURE

Cuban politics take place within a framework of a socialist republic. Cuba is constitutionally
defined as a "socialist state guided by the principles of José Martí, and the political ideas of Marx,
Engels and Lenin". The present constitution of 1992 also ascribes the role of the Partido Comunista
Cubano (PCC) to be the "leading force of society and of the state".
 LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The National Assembly of the People's Power is a unicameral legislature with 609 members who
are selected by a special candidate commission. They serve 5 year terms.
 EXECUTIVE BRANCH

• On July 31, 2006, during the 2006 Cuban transfer of duties, Fidel Castro delegated his duties as
President of the Council of State, first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party and the post of
commander in chief of the armed forces to his younger brother, first Vice President Raúl Castro.
 JUDICIARY BRANCH

• The members of the judicial branch of government are elected by the National Assembly.
 LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• The descriptions of responsibilities involving the local municipal are depicted under Chapter 12,
Article 103 of the Cuban Constitution.
• Cuba of is divided into fourteen provinces and a special municipality according to the last
Political-Administrative Division of 1976. Each one of these provinces is subdivided into
municipalities and zones. So-called Popular Counsels or candidates of the National, Provincial,
and Municipal Assemblies of the Popular Power run the zones.
 THE STATE AND CIVIL SOCIETY

The Ministry of Justice currently has a total of 2,200 legally registered civil associations or NGOs.
Looking specifically at developmental NGOs, some observers put their numbers around 50, while
in reality there is probably only half this figure. At the same time, there are other more publicly
active groups that are not legally registered with the Ministry of Justice, yet contribute significantly
to the country’s social development.
Foreign NGOs always need a Cuban counterpart organization. All interactions by local and foreign
NGOs are generally very dependent on the approval by the government.
The goals of the Assembly are to help educate the social self towards the reestablishment of civil society.
The Assembly’s course of action is based upon:
• The formation of a democratic culture
• The development of a social movement
• The strengthening of the Assembly’s organization
• The communications among groups to promote the civil society
• The use of all available means to combat poverty and seek the betterment of the community’s life
conditions
• The development of a true knowledge of Cuba’s history, in all its dimensions: economic, social and
political.
• The undertaking of activities and projects aimed at the protection and conservation of natural resources
and the ecosystem.
• The promotion of a true culture on labor rights
 CIVIL SERVICE

• Legal Basis
The legal basis for a professional civil service is described along with its public functions in
Article 10 of the Cuban Constitution of 1976. Article 10: All of the organs of the State, its leaders,
civil employees, and employees, shall act within the limits of their respective competencies and have
the obligation to strictly observe the socialist legality and respectfully guard the life of all of society.
• Recruitment
Resolution No. 8/2005 of General Regulation over Cuban Labor Relations, establishes diverse
work contract modalities that includes applications, and examinations. The state indiscriminately
accepts applications from men, women, and youth. The state requires medical certificates from public
employees and that all employees act in the advancement of a socialist state.
• Promotion - A system of management of the public service guarantees that the success of the career of the
public servant is determined by the degree of efficiency of his or her performance and professionalism.
• Remuneration- It is provided that every Cuban public servant will receive set salaries that aim to distribute
wealth more equitably among workers. Law 1100 of 1963 guaranteed the social security to all the workers
of the country. It also stipulated the age of retirement to 55 years for the women and 60 years for men.
• Training- The Ministry of the Economy and Planning provides training to develop the capacity for
providing service to citizens. It aims to equip Cuban managers with the knowledge, techniques and abilities
they need to assume an effective role in the transformation and further modernization of the public sector.
• Gender - The Family Code, adopted to the 1976 Cuban Constitution, asserts that women and men have
equal rights and responsibilities regarding marriage, divorce, raising children, maintaining the home, and
pursuing a career. Women were subject to the same restrictions on property ownership as men. The law
provides up to 1 year of maternity leave and grants working mothers preferential access to goods and
services. Approximately 40 percent of all women worked, and they were well represented in many
professions. According to the Cuban Women's Federation (FMC), a mass organization affiliated with the
Communist Party, in 2000, women held 33 percent of managerial positions.
An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905
following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula.
Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored
Communist domination. After attempting in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed
Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder
President KIM Ilso'ng, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a
check against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM
Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political
and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994.
 LEGAL STRUCTURE

North Korea is a communist state under the one-man leadership of Kim Jong Il, chairman of the
National Defense Commission (NDC) —the nation’s “highest administrative authority”—supreme
commander of the Korean People’s Army (KPA), and general secretary of the Korean Workers’
Party (KWP). The 1948 constitution of North Korea was replaced with a new constitution in 1972,
and it was amended in late 1992 and in 1998, although North Korea's government has never
publicized the changes. Constitutionally, the highest state power of North Korea is vested in the
Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) whose president leads a cabinet headed by a premier.
 LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms).6 Women in parliament: 138 out of 687 seats: (20.1%).7
 EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed
by Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) elections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held in
September 2008)
 JUDICIARY BRANCH

Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)

 LOCAL GOVERNMENT

North Korea has three levels of local government. The first level includes provinces (do) and province-level
municipalities (chikalsi or jikhalsi). The second level includes ordinary cities (si or shi), urban districts
(kuyŏk), and counties (gun or kun). The third level is made up of traditional villages (ri or ni). Cities are
subdivided into wards (gu), and some cities and wards are subdivided into neighborhoods (dong), the
lowest level of urban government to have its own office and staff. Officials leading these various levels of
government are elected by local Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) committees, local people’s assemblies, and
local administrative committees. Local people’s assemblies at all levels perform
North Korea is divided into nine provinces and four provincial-level municipalities: Pyongyang, Chongjin,
Nampo and Kaesong. Local people's assemblies elect the members of their people's committees in charge of
administrative duties including making economic plans and budgets that have to be approved by higher
authorities. the same symbolic legislative duties as the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA).
 THE STATE AND CIVIL SOCIETY

According to a report by the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, torture “is routine
and severe.” There are no practical restrictions on the ability of the government to detain and
imprison persons at will and to hold them incommunicado. Prison conditions have been described
as “harsh” and “starvation and executions were common.” A common punishment is “reeducation
through labor.” This practice consists of forced labor, such as logging, mining, or tending crops
under harsh conditions, and reeducation consisting of memorizing Kim Jong Il’s speeches and
being forced to participate in self-criticism sessions. It was reported in 2003 that an estimated
150,000 to 200,000 persons were being held in detention camps in remote areas for political
reasons.
 CIVIL SERVICE

The actual power in the civil service of the highly centralized government rests in the hands of the communist
Korean Worker's Party (KWP) led by the party general secretary who is the highest leader of the country, Kim
Jong Il.
• Remuneration In 2002, most salaries lay in the range of 150-200 won per month. A mid-ranking government
official earns 2,700 won a month (The official bank rate on 26th January 2006 was Won139.10: US$1).
• Training With respect to the policy and institutional framework of North Korea it operates in, UN agencies
support comprehensive assessments and development plans and policies for all level of sectors. The
objectives of training civil servant in North Korea are to strengthen the delivery of civil services, improve
capacities to management health, education and water and sanitation programmes. The UN also assists the
Government to increase access to, and quality of, basic health care services, improve early childhood
development and care, as well as availability of nutritious food to children and pregnant/lactating women,
iron/folic acid for women before pregnancy to prevent anemia and multi micronutrients during pregnancy.
RUSSIA
In 2001 the Concept of Public Service Reform in the Russian Federation was prepared by the
Center of Strategic Research – one of the leading Russian think tanks - and approved by the
president. The authors of the Concept proposed several significantly new approaches to public
service regulation and human resources management in the government bodies. To put the ideas
laid in the Conception into practice the Federal Program “Public Service Reform in the Russian
Federation (2003-2005)” was launched in 2002.
In July 2004 the Federal law #79 “On the Civil Service in the Russian Federation” was adopted. This law substituted for
the 1995 Federal law “On the basic principles…”. The Federal law “On the Civil Service in the Russian Federation”
introduced some new approaches to the organization of the Russian Civil Service, namely:
1. Appointment of permanent civil servants based on competition. Up to 2004 competition was not an obligatory
element of the appointment procedure in the Russian Civil Service. According to the Federal law #79 appointments
to every position within the Russian Civil Service should be made on the basis of the open competition results with
only few exceptions existing to this rule.
2. 2. Pre-qualified pools. Sometimes the appointment process based on open competition takes too much time
(especially when the number of candidates is not sufficient). In order to make the appointment process more flexible
and to let government bodies fill vacant positions with qualified personnel in time it was decided to use pre-qualified
pools. Prequalified pool consists of civil servants and other citizens that have been assessed during a competition
against a standard of competence for a concrete position within the Civil Service. The standards of competence for
Civil Service positions have not been developed yet in Russia, but this idea is widely discussed nowadays. A formal
standard of competence should include all necessary qualifications and other personal characteristics of candidate
required to perform his would-be duties effectively. When pre-qualified pool is established the government body will
be able to fill the vacant positions with already assessed and fully-qualified candidates from the pool without
conducting a time consuming open competition.
3. Job descriptions for Civil Servants. One of the main management ideas underlying the Civil Service and
Administrative reforms in Russia is that it is necessary to regulate in detail the activities of government bodies and
public officials. Excessive administrative discretion is considered to be among the most hazardous preconditions for
corruption. Thus it is proposed to define the scope of responsibility of every civil servant and every government body
as precisely as possible in job descriptions and regulations of administrative procedures. Particular attention is being
paid to those situations when civil servants interact with citizens and private companies, e.g. when providing public
services to citizens.

According to the Federal law #79 job descriptions must include

- qualifications necessary for the job,
- civil servant’s duties,
- the list of issues that could be managed independently by the civil servant,
- rules regulating interaction between the civil servant and his colleagues, other government bodies, citizens and
private companies,
- - terms and procedures of preparation, discussion, approval of official decisions, - performance indicators, etc.
4. Contracts for Civil Servants. Job description constitutes one of the main parts of the contract
which should be signed by every citizen appointed to the Russian Civil Service. The idea of the
contractual Civil Service is also a new one for the Russian public administration. In accordance
with the Federal law #79 a contract must include basic terms and conditions of employment (job
title, job description, date of employment, probation period, working hours, pay and allowances,
performance indicators etc.). It is very important that the Federal law #79 lays the foundation for
introduction of performance contracts in the Russian Civil Service. Now it is possible to include
performance indicators in a contract that would influence or even determine civil servant’s
remuneration and evaluation (and thus promotion).
5. Government bodies remuneration fund. The idea of performance related pay is supported by
some other prescriptions of the Federal law #79. In particular according to this Federal law in
government bodies must be created remuneration fund that in some cases can be distributed by the
Head of the government body among civil servants on the basis of their formally assessed
effectiveness and efficiency.
6. Standards of Conduct and Conflict of Interest regulations. In The Federal law #79 new
provisions appeared concerning gifts, outside employment, use of official information, political
activities of civil servants and other issues usually regulated by codes of conduct. For the first time
in the Russian history the ‘conflict of interest’ was defined in law. It is also prescribed by the
Federal law #79 that Conflict of interest regulation commissions should be created in every
government body.
7. Dispute resolution procedures. Before the Federal law #79 was issued there had been no specific
rules and regulations on dispute resolution within the Russian Civil Service. The Labor Code had
been used as a basis for dispute resolution both in private and in public sectors. In practice most
disputes have been being resolved in courts, since there were no mechanisms of pre-judicial
dispute resolution. The Federal law #79 prescribes that in every government body a Commission
on dispute resolution must be established. The Commission is entitled to examine some types of
disputes (there are still a lot of cases that must be resolved only in courts). A civil servant may
choose either to apply to Commission on dispute resolution or to go directly to court; this
procedure is borrowed from the Russian private sector, where dispute resolution commissions have
been used for several years.
• An economic system defines the mechanism of production, distribution and allocation of goods,
services and resources in a society/country with defined rules and policies about ownership and
administration.
• One of the variants is the “Socialist Economy,” which is a financial system based on the public or
cooperative ownership of production. A prominent characteristic of the socialist economy is that the
goods and services are produced based on usage value (subject to the needs of the society, hence
preventing under-production and over-production). This is completely different from the common
capitalist economic system, where goods and services are produced to generate profit and
capital accumulation, rather than based on their usage and value.
• Socialism, similar to communism, advocates that the means of production be owned by the people,
either directly or through government agencies. Socialism also believes that wealth and income
should be shared more equally among people.
 CHINA
• A significant portion of the Chinese economy is still government-controlled, although the number of government
programs has declined significantly. Universal health care, for example, is being discontinued. China's foreign
policy continues to be pro-socialist, but it has essentially become a free-market economy. In essence, China no
longer remains a “pure socialist economy."

• Interestingly, the privately owned firms reportedly generate a substantial portion of GDP for China (figures vary
from 33% to 70%, as reported by various news sources). After the U.S., China is the second-largest economy in
the world, and the number-one largest manufacturing economy.

• China pulled this off by transitioning from a “socialist economy” to a “socialist market economy.” The
communist regime in China quickly realized that it would be to its disadvantage to keep China's economy
secluded from the rest of the world. It has been able to successfully strike a balance between the “collective” and
“capitalist” approach. Policies allow entrepreneurs and investors to take profits, but within the controls of the
state. Around 2004, the government began to allow a person’s right to private property. Establishing a
special economic zone and opening up to international trade have allowed the country to embark on fast-paced
economic growth – all courtesy to the right changes to the socialist policies at the required time.
 CUBA

• Cuba is one of the most prominent socialist nations, having a mostly state-run economy, a national health-
care program, government-paid (i.e. free) education at all levels, subsidized housing, utilities, entertainment
and even subsidized food programs. These subsidies compensate for the low salaries of Cuban workers,
making them better off than their international counterparts in many other countries. Cuba does not have a
stock exchange – a crucial indicator of a capital-free economy. Around 80% of Cuba's workforce is in state-
owned facilities.
• the modern day and tracking backward, President Raúl unveiled economic reforms in 2010 aimed to shift
toward a mixed economy that would allow free-market mechanisms, remove government control of small
businesses, lay off unnecessary state workers and make self-employment easier.
• Cuba seems to be better situated with a parallel financial system – one that operates on the usual social programs in
common sectors, while operating as a free-market economy in the tourism, export and international business sectors. The
latter actually assists the social system. Around 20% of Cuban workers are currently employed in this private sector. On
the heels of reports that half a million workers were being laid off, further plans and reforms will allow up to 40% of the
government workforce to move into the private sector, enabling the inception of income tax payment, which in turn will
lead to more self-reliance.

• Introducing better reforms through new laws aimed to bring in higher foreign investment, the changes to the closed
“socialist economy” are already on their way to mixing with the market-based open economy. Tax-free special
development zones are being introduced for foreign companies to conduct business freely and allow transfer of tariff-free
profits abroad, among other benefits. This is a significant change from the central “socialist” planning.
 NORTH KOREA

• North Korea – the world's most totalitarian state – is another prominent example of a socialist economy.
• Like Cuba, North Korea has an almost entirely state-controlled economy, and it has similar social programs to
those of Cuba. There is no stock exchange in North Korea either.
• Around mid-1975, North Korea was better educated and more productive than China (going by international
trade per capita). However, North Korea also has the terrible misfortune of being the only educated and
developed society in human history to face a mass famine – and during peacetime at that. Interestingly, the
country’s hunger problem reportedly has not been resolved. If the tightly controlled socialist economic system
had been a success in North Korea, the nation would probably not have deteriorated to this level.
Challenges with North Korea

• The discontinuation of major aid (and trade) from the Soviet Union and sanctions by other world powers are significant
developments that restrict the Korean economy. However, other countries like Vietnam have managed to improve during
the same post-Soviet period, while the North Korean economy declined.

• Apart from the challenges of dynastic rule in North Korea, which prevents the country from becoming self-reliant, the
campaign of "military-first politics" (in Korean, "Songun Chongchi") imposes a heavy burden on the economy.

• North Korea’s only foreign-trade partner is China, and the business is dominated by middlemen who broker the deals
between Chinese companies and Korean firms. This has completely closed off North Korea on nearly all fronts.
Recent Developments

• Due to a lack of self-sufficient manufacturing facilities and markets in the country and increasing dependency on China,
private firms and businesses are on the rise in Korea.

• Irrespective of the existing situations and causal factors, the development of parallel “second” markets, where citizens and
firms trade or barter for goods and services, are thriving. Indicating a significant shift from the heavily controlled
“socialist” economy of North Korea, this parallel system is seeing involvement from all – housewives exchanging unused
goods for the ones required, farmers selling their produce locally and an increasing number of firms importing Chinese
goods through agents.

• Lack of credible official information on North Korea makes it hard to observe the economic development (or lack of it),
but available information does point to the existence of a different financial system.
 5 GLOBAL TRENDS AFFECTING THE PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
1. TECHNOLOGICAL BOOM
- the increase power and accessibility of technology is at the core of most massive perceptual
and lifestyle changes in the past decade. Put simply, more people the world over have cheaper,
faster access to stronger, more portable technology that allows them to find and share information.
Technology has been a deciding factors in everything from local elections to an entire nation’s
popular revolution. Technology changes the way the news is reported, the way law enforcement
works, and the way leader communicate with their constituents.
2. GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS
- using technology as a springboard, grassroots campaigns have become the backbone of social
change to raise awareness about issues, promote candidates for public office, and even regulate
business. This has led to fairly rapid changes in law and policy in traditionally slow-moving
systems.
3. GLOBAL THINKING
- increased awareness of world-spanning issues, as aided by technology and grassroots
campaigning, means more people are becoming globally minded. Things like environmental
sustainability, equal rights for girls and women, and international trade are topics discussed by
growing numbers of people every day.
4. DEMOCRATIZATION
- Foreign affairs have also changed in regard to the complexities of democratization movement
in traditionally non-democratic regions.
5. SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
- applying simple market principles related to perpetual growth and prosperity has led to boom
and bust patterns in every aspect of society. With global economic crises now a fact of life, public
policy is joining many other systems in the promotion of sustainability. This means a reduction in
waste, corruption, and inefficiency for the sake of realistic long-term planning. Public
administration professionals must keep an eye on the future to ensure today’s policies remain
functional for tomorrow’s problem.
 CHINA PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

China’s latest administrative reform is motivated by a number of key concerns.

The existing system of public administration is still based on the command-and-
control approach inherited from the era of the planned economy. It has distorted
the political and legal environment for doing business in China in the new age of
the market economy and is largely responsible for the widespread rentseeking and
corrupt behaviors of government officials. Administrative redundancy and
bureaucratic red tape also have hindered China’s competitiveness and economic
vitality.
 ISSUES AND PROBLEMS OF PA IN CHINA

• Over-centralization of power
- Decentralization of power and delegation of rights
- Simplification and rationalization of administrative power
- Building a government ruled by law
 TRENDS

• Curtailing Administrative Powers

• Promoting Plural Governance
• Strengthening the Law-Based System of Public Administration
THANK YOU! 